Podcast 84: What sort of person is named Rupzóiyat?

Unpronounceable names — Chérin; Póisher; Kilom; Koikert; Vázal; Dáwfisp; Zóque; Spren; Dáwthô; Rupzóiyat; Blag; Lísrix; Thaspkûwhin; Kîrd’faumish; Génras; Tháchô; Brob. Zóitû; Kóldak; Múrbix; Chermtgáwkonv; Bóppum; and a bunch of others — and what other people make of those unpronounceable names, enliven this week’s Improbable Research podcast.

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This week, Marc Abrahams discusses medical reports about toothbrushes that mysteriously found their way into people’s stomachs and other deeply secret places. Boston University psychology professor emerita Jean Berko Gleason wrestles with all those names, giving dramatic readings and opinions:

Rupzóiyat and other such names: “On the psychological response to unknown proper names,” G. English, American Journal of Psychology, vol. 27, 1916. 430-434.

The mysterious John Schedler or the shadowy Bruce Petschek perhaps did the sound engineering this week.

The Improbable Research podcast is all about research that makes people LAUGH, then THINK — real research, about anything and everything, from everywhere —research that may be good or bad, important or trivial, valuable or worthless. CBS distributes it, on the CBS Play.it web site, and on iTunes and Spotify).